


take me for what i am (who i was meant to be)

by betheproof



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Baggage AU, Fluff and Humor, Harry is Jerry Springer, Louis is seeking new love, M/M, in the best of ways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-11
Updated: 2015-05-11
Packaged: 2018-03-29 21:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3910612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betheproof/pseuds/betheproof
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Too late, he realizes that the handsome stranger spoke to him and Louis has yet to respond. He puts on his most dazzling smile before speaking. “Why yes, I must be. Are you one of the lovely people competing for my affections, then?” </em> </p>
<p>  <em>Instead of confirming his suspicions, though, the man laughs in a way that is both inappropriately loud and extremely endearing. “Unfortunately not,” he gets out through his chuckles. “I’m Harry. I’ll be your host today.”</em></p>
<p>Louis is dealing with heartache. Niall signs him up for a dating show to help him move on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	take me for what i am (who i was meant to be)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [foreveralliee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreveralliee/gifts).



> So the prompt was: "Reality TV AU: Harry and Louis meet on a dating show like the Bachelor or whatever you want." I've never seen The Bachelor, so I kinda took advantage of your generosity and did whatever I wanted. This borders on crack fic, to be honest, but I hope you still like it!
> 
> For those of you who have never seen Baggage... what the heck is wrong with you? Go watch it! [Here is a minisode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxKueoYXuro) for your viewing pleasure. If you don't want to click on the link, I'll give you a rundown. Each episode features a contestant who is looking for love. There are three people trying to win the heart of the contestant, and they each have three pieces of baggage apiece. Inside, there is some fact about that person that might turn someone off from dating them. Throughout the show, the baggage is revealed and the contestant has to decide which baggage they can accept and which baggage is too much for them to handle. As the show goes on, the baggage increases in severity. The show consists of three rounds:
> 
> 1\. Everybody opens their smallest piece of baggage. This is to get the ball rolling, and to tell the contest a little bit about each candidate.
> 
> 2\. The mystery round. Here, the host is the one who opens the baggage, while the contestant has no idea which baggage belongs to whom. The contestant must then choose one case that they cannot live with, and the contestants reveal which baggage is theirs. Whoever the contestant chose is eliminated.
> 
> 3\. The candidates reveal their largest piece of baggage, and the contestant must choose between the two people remaining. 
> 
> Once this is over, there is still one piece of baggage left to open: the contestant's. As is announced at the beginning of the episode, the contestant also has some kind of secret, and if the candidate that has been chosen does not approve, they can in turn reject the contestant and no one walks away with a date. If the candidate accepts the contestant's baggage, then the couple goes out. A lot of this is explained in the story itself, but this just gives you a good overview!
> 
> This note is getting far too long, so just a quick shoutout to my wonderful betas, to whom I am forever indebted. You all are my everything! Title is from "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent.

As a general rule, Louis does not dwell on breakups. It’s not that he does not enjoy a good sulk—he’s an excellent sulker. He once sulked for three full days when Manchester United lost the Champions League, and when Niall borrowed his favorite shirt and spilled barbecue sauce on it, Louis did not speak to him until he promised to buy him three new shirts to make up for it. So yes, Louis is an expert at sulking. He has a degree in drama, after all, it is to be expected.

Nevertheless, when it comes to relationships, Louis tries to stay in control. Though his instincts are to wear his heart on his sleeve, too much heartache as a teenager has taught him to play it safe when it came to romance. So when the guy he’d been regularly shagging and on the brink of actually dating for two months sheepishly suggested that maybe they should see other people, Louis took it in stride. Even when it turned out that the guy had been seeing other people for the last month without his knowledge, Louis told himself it didn’t matter. He was still Louis Tomlinson, twenty-three years old and frankly attractive enough to pull his fair share of boys, and even a few girls on occasion. He could get through this, no problem.

Except that it’s been two weeks and Louis still wakes up every day with an ache in his chest. He’s gone through his usual coping methods, thrown himself into his work and tried to keep himself busy. This morning, he even made an empowering playlist on Spotify to play around the clock while he rehearsed lines for his next audition. But even Beyoncé and Adele could not drown out the silence from being completely and utterly alone. (Fuck, is he on a downward spiral.) Which can only mean that he needs to call in reinforcements.

Letting out a sigh, Louis reaches for his cell phone and texts the only person he knows who wouldn’t say no to getting drunk in the middle of the week.

_Neil !! I miss your bright shining face :( come over pls_

It only takes a few seconds to get a response:

_is this a booty call_

Despite himself, Louis snorts. There is a running joke between them that Niall is the only boy in their friend group that Louis has not tried to seduce. Maybe it’s because Niall Horan is the straightest boy Louis has ever met in his life, but that doesn’t stop him from making jokes about getting with Louis. Normally, this would elicit some playful flirting on Louis’ part, but he’s on a mission tonight. Attempting to gain some sympathy points, he sends out his reply.

_Of course not you twat I’m just lonely :(((_

This time, he doesn’t even get a text back. Instead, a blurry picture of his best friend wrapped in an Irish flag and nothing else pops up on his screen. Louis answers the call.

“Nialler! Fancy hearing from you on this fine evening,” he says, adopting a boisterous tone.

Niall, however, is clearly not having it. “You don’t have to pull that act with me, Tommo. Is this about Zayn?” His tone is careful but firm. He knows that Louis is sensitive about the topic, but the two have never been anything less than direct with each other. It’s one of the reasons their friendship works so well.

Sighing, Louis slumps back into his armchair. “I just… need to drown my sorrows a bit tonight.”

From down the line, Niall makes a sympathetic humming sound. “How bad is it, d’ye reckon?”

“Well, I started the day with Best Thing I Never Had, but then I found a shirt under my bed that definitely isn’t mine and now I’m on my twenty-eighth loop of Wrecking Ball,” Louis offers by way of explanation.

“Fuck,” Niall mutters. “I’m on my way.”

“Bring alcohol!” Louis sings out before Niall hangs up.

Two hours later, the boys have downed a couple beers apiece and now they are engaged in an intense battle of Mario Kart. Sober Louis can kick Niall’s ass at any video game, but drunk Louis gets a little uncoordinated and a lot cocky, so he tends to fall behind. It doesn’t help that the only effect alcohol has on Niall Horan is to make his cheeks rosier and his voice louder, and so his mediocrity actually overtakes Louis in his own impaired state. Curse Niall and his Irish blood.

After yet another humiliating defeat on Rainbow Road, Louis shuts off the game angrily.

Next to him, Niall lets out a cackle. “You’re pouting.”

“I am not _pouting_ , Neil,” Louis lets out scathingly, even though he is. He’s totally pouting. He can’t help it, though; first he gets dumped by a fit comic book artist who was actually decent to him and now he can’t even win a lousy video game. Life is not fair.

Niall must sense Louis’ change in mood, because he throws an arm around his shoulder and squeezes. “Is it time for you to talk about it, then?” he asks gently. When Louis doesn’t answer right away, Niall changes tactics. A wicked grin spreads across his face and he waggles his eyebrows. “Or shall I wipe the floor with you again?”

“Fuck off,” Louis squawks indignantly, shoving Niall’s arm away as he dissolves into giggles. Though the couch isn’t exactly large, Louis still makes it a point to retreat to the other end of it to put some distance between them. Drawing his knees up to his chest, Louis regards Niall with narrowed eyes. “If you’re just going to insult me, you can just go then.”

Niall throws up his hands defensively. “No need to get hostile, mate,” he says. “You’re the one who asked me over. I just figured you might wanna talk. No pressure, though. This is your pity party, not mine.”

Before he has time to feel insulted, Niall seems to realize what he said and backtracks a bit. “I just mean that I’ve never seen you like this over anyone,” he reasons. “What makes Zayn Malik any different from your other hookup?”

“Because he wasn’t just a hookup!” Louis blurts out, making Niall’s eyes widen. A few moments of silence pass between the two, and then Niall scoots a bit closer to Louis on the couch. When he sees that Louis won’t bark at him again, he moves even closer. He makes a tentative circle around Louis’ ankle with his fingers, rubbing his thumb lightly across the skin there  as if to both soothe Louis and encourage him to speak. Just like that, all the fight goes out of Louis and he huffs out a breath. “He wasn’t just a hookup,” Louis says again. “I don’t know what it was about him, really. Maybe it was that we got along so well when we weren’t in bed together? Like. We could actually hang out together. Most of the other people I get with are just a hit-it-and-quit-it kinda thing. But with Zayn, it was like… I really enjoyed spending time with him.”

“You had feelings for him, then.” Niall doesn’t say it like a question, and Louis can’t exactly deny it.

“Yeah. I guess I did.” After a beat, Louis lets out a bitter laugh. “And I guess he didn’t.”

Any other one of Louis’ friends would follow this display of emotion with platitudes, telling him that he is better off without Zayn and that something better is just around the corner. But there’s a reason Louis called Niall and not any other one of his friends. Niall understands when Louis needs to grieve a little, has ever since they first met in primary school. Niall knows Louis better than almost anyone, which is why he doesn’t say anything at all but rather pulls Louis in for one of his famous Horan hugs. Louis melts into it gratefully. The best thing about a Horan hug is that the recipient is the one who gets to declare when it is over, meaning that Niall will let Louis cling to him for as long as he wants without pulling away. This time around, it takes a few minutes and more than a few tears before Louis draws back with a sniffle.

“Thanks, Niall,” he whispers, his lips quirking up slightly in a watery, crooked smile.

In response, Niall places a loud smack on his cheek and hands him another beer. “Here, take this. We’re gonna continue to get smashed, and I’m gonna put on FIFA for us to play, because I know that’s the one game you can still beat me at when you’re drunk,” he says with a wink.

Louis shoves at his shoulder and calls him a cheeky bastard, but it comes out fond.

***

The next day, Louis is in the cafe near his flat when Niall shows up for their usual brunch time. He looks entirely too cheery for a Thursday afternoon, and Louis is immediately suspicious. Before he can ask, though, Niall plops down into the seat across from him and snags a chip from the food Louis already ordered.

“I’ve got brilliant news!” Niall announces around his mouthful of food.

Louis raises his eyebrows incredulously. “Is it that you’ve finally decided not to steal my food?” he asks with a pointed look at Niall’s fingers, which are reaching for yet another chip.

Niall throws his head back with a laugh. “Quit talking crazy, Lou,” he says with a wave of his hand. “Nah, this news isn’t about me. It’s about you! I’ve signed you up for a dating show!”

“You _what_?!” Louis exclaims loudly, enough that several people look over at their table with alarmed expressions on their faces. Louis doesn’t even register it, though, because he’s pretty sure that his best friend in the world just told him he signed up for a dating show. Which. No. Not happening. He isn’t _that_ desperate.

But Niall doesn’t seem alarmed. In fact, he looks like he expected this reaction from Louis, so he launches into an explanation. “Look, after last night, I decided that I want to help you. I have never seen you that sad about a boy before, and I’ve known you for years. So you know what they say: the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.” Niall pauses for a second. “Or on top of. Whatever you prefer.”

Louis rolls his eyes but ignores that last comment. “Not that I in any way approve of this ridiculous plan, but exactly which show did you sign me up for?” he inquires wearily.

“You know that show Baggage?” Niall’s voice comes out somewhat muffled due to the fact that he’s stolen yet another one of Louis’ chips.

“Is that the trashy one you make me watch when there’s no good football on?” Louis asks mischievously, knowing it will get a rise out of Niall.

Sure enough, Niall springs out of his seat to swat Louis on the arm. “It is _not_ trashy! It is quality entertainment. And besides, you’re the one who keeps watching it with me!”

“Only because I love James Corden’s hosting skills,” Louis replies. “But don’t you have to audition for that stuff, like, months in advance?”

“Ah, but that’s only for people who don’t have friends in high places.” Niall waggles his eyebrows. “Turns out someone at the radio station knows someone on the production team. That’s how I found out about it. Anyway, she owed me a favor, so she pulled a few strings and voilà! You’re in.” Judging by his satisfied smirk, Niall considers this to be a done deal and calls over the waitress to place his order. Louis is still somewhat incredulous at how easy it was for Niall to pull this off, but decides not to question it. He’s had the sneaking suspicion for years that Niall is part leprechaun, because things just seem to magically fall into place around him.

Still, that doesn’t mean he is willing to humiliate himself in front of thousands of viewers. “Give me one good reason why I should do this,” Louis says, crossing his arms and schooling his face into a challenging expression.

Sipping the water just brought to him by the waitress, Niall shrugs. “I mean, no one is forcing you to do it if you don’t want to. I just figured it could be fun. Meet new people, maybe get some dates out of it. Plus, you want to get into acting someday, right? Maybe an agent will be watching and offer you a deal.”

And well, how can Louis say no to that?

***

A few weeks later, the day of taping arrives. He arrives at the specified time to a studio downtown, where the show is usually taped. There are cameras set up and people milling about, and he knows that in about an hour, the seats will be filled with strabgers waiting to see if he will find love. Briefly, he wonders if Zayn will ever see this episode. _Wouldn’t that just take the cake?_ he thinks to himself, then decides that this isn’t really the kind of thing he’d watch. And Louis also tells himself that he doesn’t want to think about his ex anymore. He needs to focus on the present, and right now, the present calls for him to report to the makeup department to get prepped for filming.

Once he has been deemed ready for the cameras, Louis wanders around the set. He knows that Niall is sitting in the front row because he keeps getting texts saying _good luck_ and _don’t say anything stupid!_ Helpful stuff, really.

While he’s reading the latest one, someone suddenly addresses him.

“You must be Louis!”

Glancing up, Louis catches sight of a frankly hideous shirt buttoned down enough to reveal a not-so-hideous chest. As Louis’ gaze travels upward, he discovers that the not-so-hideous chest is attached to a definitely not hideous man. In fact, this might be the most attractive man Louis has set eyes on in a long time. If this is one of the contestants, then Louis doesn’t even need to do the show, he picks this guy, questionable fashion sense aside. Maybe that’s his baggage.

Too late, he realizes that the handsome stranger spoke to him and Louis has yet to respond. He puts on his most dazzling smile before speaking. “Why yes, I must be. Are you one of the lovely people competing for my affections, then?”

Instead of confirming his suspicions, though, the man laughs in a way that is both inappropriately loud and extremely endearing. “Unfortunately not,” he gets out through his chuckles. “I’m Harry. I’ll be your host today.”

That throws Louis off completely. “I thought James Corden was the host?” he asks with confusion.

“He is,” the man—Harry—assures him. “But he fell unexpectedly ill last night and didn’t think he could get through filming. It all happened at the last minute, and the producers didn’t want to reschedule today, so they asked me to fill in. I’m the intern,” he tacks on, extending his hand to shake. Louis tries not to dwell on how small his hand feels in Harry’s, and even less on the fact that he is maybe completely into the size difference.

Clearing his throat, he puts those thoughts aside and focuses on the task at hand. “Well, Harry the intern, I look forward to filming with you today.”

“Styles,” Harry supplies helpfully.

“Beg pardon?”

“That’s my full name,” Harry explains. “Harry Styles.”

Louis nods amiably. “A name made for television, then. You were born to do this, it would appear.”

He’s flirting, Louis knows he is, but he can’t help it. There is something about Harry that intrigues him. Then he remembers that he’s only meeting Harry because he’s hosting a show that will land Louis a date. Maybe he should save this energy for when he meets his actual suitors.

Still, there is no harm in a little banter. In fact, it could help him prepare for this whole experience. Sort of like vocal warmups before a performance. He is merely flexing his romantic muscle.

Harry, seemingly oblivious to Louis’ brief internal struggle, smiles at Louis’ comment. “Keep that up, and you’ll definitely walk away with a date tonight,” he says with a wink.

_If it’s with you, I wouldn’t mind_ , Louis doesn’t say back.

Just then, a girl in a headset finds them. “Oh good, Harry, you’re ready,” she says in a brisk tone. “You two are needed on the main stage. We start filming in ten minutes.” Once her message is delivered, she scurries off.

Harry extends his arm grandly in the direction she went. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Louis agrees, and they head off to set.

Ten minutes later, Louis is waiting backstage for Harry to introduce the show and to announce his name. He has yet to set eyes on the contestants. Apparently, they like to keep the show as organic as possible, so the first time he sees or speaks to any of them will be on camera. No pressure. To be honest, though, Louis has already decided that he’s not going to take this experience too seriously. He hardly thinks he’ll find true love today. Sure, he might end up going out with somebody new, but today is mostly about having fun.

At that moment, he hears his name being called, and he squares his shoulders. “Showtime,” he tells himself, pasting on the same smile he used on Harry earlier and going out to meet him onstage.

“Welcome to Baggage, Louis Tomlinson!” Harry exclaims warmly. Since he last saw him, Harry has put a black blazer over his ridiculous shirt, and he somehow manages to look incredibly sharp in the ensemble. Again, Louis wishes he was the one vying for his affections today. “Why don’t you tell the audience a little bit about yourself?” Harry prompts.

Right. His turn to put on a show. “Well, Harry,” Louis begins, “I’m twenty-three years old, and I am an aspiring actor.” As an aside to the audience, he stage-whispers, “Obviously, that doesn’t pay the bills,” which garners a round of laughter. Pleased, Louis continues. “So to keep my bank account above zero, I teach drama during the school year.”

Harry nods as if fascinated by this. His gaze is intense up close, Louis notices. “What brings you here today?” Harry asks.

“Well, I recently got out of a relationship,” Louis admits, and the audience groans with sympathy. “And as it’s summer hols, I have a lot of free time on my hands. I’m ready to have some fun, do you know what I mean?”

“Indeed I do,” Harry says with a grin. “And so what are you looking for in a potential partner?”

"I like a bit of banter, a bit of a challenge,” Louis tells him. “I want someone who can keep up with me in conversation. Like I said, I want a bit of fun, but I also want someone who can be serious as well. I’m looking to settle down sometime soon, get married and start a family.”

“Even as young as you are?” Harry asks.

“Yeah,” Louis replies somewhat softly. “I’ve always wanted kids. I have lots of younger siblings, but I want some babies of my own someday.”

There is a chorus of awws from the audience, but Louis only focuses on the sparkle in Harry’s eye. “A handsome man who wants a family!” Harry exclaims gleefully. “Let’s get this lovely bloke a date, shall we, ladies and gentlemen?” The audience claps loudly, and Harry waits until they settle down before going on with his spiel. “We have three people here today for Louis to choose from. Like all of us, they each have some baggage. This baggage comes in three different sizes. The bigger the case, the bigger the baggage. Throughout the show, the baggage will be revealed and Louis will have decide who stays and who goes. But before we introduce our three candidates,” Harry claps his hand on Louis’ shoulder and brings him a little closer, “Louis here has his own secret hidden inside this red suitcase.”

The camera pans to the luggage a few metres away, and Louis smiles secretly like the producers told him to do. Meanwhile, Harry continues with his speech. “Do you think Louis is into threesomes? Did he cause a married couple to break up? Or did he used to be a drug dealer?” At each suggestion, the audience reacts with shock the way they are supposed to, but Louis maintains a neutral expression. Briefly, he wonders if Harry knows the truth, about him and all of the contestants. He also wonders what kind of baggage _Harry_ is carrying, but he doesn’t exactly have the chance to ask.

“It’s time to introduce our contestants!” Harry announces. “First up is a lawyer from Brighton. Please welcome Sophia!” From around the corner, a very pretty girl with long brown hair and an elegant cocktail dress emerges, trailing a suitcase behind her.

“Hi, Louis, it’s great to meet you,” she says in a sultry voice. “I’m a driven and passionate girl who is looking to make a difference in the world. Give me a chance to make a difference in yours,” she says as she cocks a hip. Louis fights the urge to laugh out loud. He knows that some of this is scripted, but it’s still pretty corny. He doesn’t fault Sophia, though. After all, he is the one who agreed to do all this.

“Can’t wait to give you that chance,” Louis remarks, settling into his role of charming bachelor.

“Up next,” Harry says, “he’s a construction foreman from Wolverhampton. Give it up for Liam!”

Just like Sophia before him, Liam enters trailing a suitcase. Louis was expecting a beefy, dull-looking fellow, but this lad is actually quite attractive. Almost like a young David Beckham. This thought sticks with him as Liam introduces himself.

“Louis, I may look like a tough guy, but I definitely have a soft side. I am just as content to spend a night in watching a romantic film as I am going out to party. If you choose me, I’ll show you a good time no matter what we do.” Even with the cheesy sentiment, Liam’s smile is earnest and genuine. Louis likes him.

“And finally,” Harry says, “she’s a music executive and has penned songs for some of today’s top artists. Originally from America, she now makes her home in London. Say hello to Taylor!”

The leggy blonde is the last to appear from backstage. “How you doing, Louis?” Taylor says, and there’s that American accent. It can be a little grating on some, but on this girl, it’s rather pleasant. “I write music for a living, which means I am no stranger to a good love story. I can make sure we make a perfect melody together!” she ends with a hint of sarcasm, as if she knows how silly this whole thing is. A girl after his own heart, then. Louis is pleasantly surprised by his options. They’re all quite easy on the eyes, and they seem like good people. As a fan of the show, he knows that there can be a lot of weirdos that come on, but these three seem alright so far. Then again, they have yet to reveal their baggage, so Louis should probably hold off on any real judgments.

Once again, Harry takes the reins. “Okay, contestants, it is time to reveal your smallest piece of baggage. Let’s start with Sophia.”

Sophia obligingly opens the smallest case beside her. “I am a workaholic,” Harry reads off. “What do you think of that, Louis?”

“I mean, I love my job, as well,” Louis begins. “But I dunno. What if she decides work is more important than spending time with me? That doesn’t seem like a good relationship.”

“Right you are,” Harry agrees. “Sophia?”

“I worked hard to get where I am today,” she says. “It’s hard to be a woman in my field and be taken seriously. So if I have to put in some extra hours to prove I’m the best, I’m going to do it!” Both the audience and Louis like that answer, as is evident by the applause that follows. “However,” Sophia adds, “I’m great at balancing work with my personal life. I still leave plenty of time for play!”

Beside him, Harry lets out a whistle. “Wonder what kind of play she means?” he asks, much to the delight of the audience. Harry waggles his eyebrows suggestively at Louis, who feels his stomach flutter. This game show host will be the death of him, he swears.

“Alright, next we have Liam,” Harry says, back in his professional tone. “Please reveal your first piece of baggage.”

Like before, Harry waits until the case has been opened then reads what it says inside. “I exercise for three hours every day!”

“Wow,” Louis says. “That’s impressive, really. I’m a bit lazy myself. If this is something he likes to do with the people he dates, then he might have some trouble getting me onboard.”

“Maybe he can bench-press you,” Harry jokes. “You are quite small, he can probably lift you a few hundred times.”

“Excuse me?” Louis gasps, pretending to be affronted. “I’ll have you know I am 5 foot 9, thank you very much.”

“Whatever you say, mate,” Harry says, his lips quirking up a bit. “Liam, what’s your defense?”

“I used to be a personal trainer,” Liam says. “And I still like to stay in shape. I think physical health is very important.”

“And what would you say to Louis,” Harry asks, “knowing how he feels about being active?”

Liam seems to ponder a bit before he provides an answer. “I’d say that I know how to make it fun for him. And that the physical activity we do wouldn’t have to be at the gym.”

In spite of himself, Louis lets out a laugh. He took Liam to be a sensible guy, but apparently he is capable of suggestibe humor himself. Good to know.

Seeming to share his approval, Harry nudges Louis in the side. “Sounds like you guys could burn lots of calories together.” Before Louis can do much more than laugh appreciatively, Harry turns to Taylor. “Last but certainly not least. Taylor?”

She opens her baggage like Sophia and Liam before her. “I often sing my replies in conversation,” Harry reads off.

“Is that meant to be a bad thing?” Louis quips, which makes everyone laugh, including Harry.

“Alright but seriously,” Harry says. “You have no concerns about that?”

“I mean, it might get annoying after a while,” Louis reasons. “I guess it just depends on how often this happens.”

“It’s not out of control or anything,” Taylor says. “I work in the music business, so obviously it’s in my nature to make a song out of things. But hey, at least you know I’ll stay on pitch!”

“That’s a fair point,” Harry says, then turns to the camera. “When we come back, these lovely contestants will reveal their next piece of baggage and Louis will turn one of them loose. Find out who that person is after the break!”

After a brief round of applause from the audience, everyone moves into position for the next shot. This next round calls for Sophia, Liam, and Taylor to sit on the couch while Louis and Harry remain standing. The baggage will be revealed anonymously, and then Louis will have to choose which one he cannot accept and the owners of the baggage will be revealed.

As the three contestants make their way to the couch, Louis takes his chance and addresses Harry. “So if you were on this show,” he begins curiously, “what would your baggage be?”

Taking the bait, Harry taps a finger against his mouth as if deep in thought. While he does that, Louis can’t help but notice how pink and plump his lips are. “I once got a tattoo of a butterfly on a dare,” Harry admits. “Is that scandalous enough?”

“Depends. Is it on your arse?”

In mock horror, Harry’s jaw drops open and he clutches his chest while Louis giggles. “Heavens, no! It’s on my stomach.” He glances around to see if anyone is watching, then quickly pops open another one of his shirt’s buttons to reveal the tattoo in question, below the birds Louis had already seen peeking out of his shirt on his chest. The extra skin makes Louis feel a little dizzy, and his fingers itch to discover if it is as warm and smooth as it looks. Harry must realize that he is affecting Louis, because he looks far too smug for his own good.

Wanting to regain his conversational footing, Louis gestures to Harry's torso. “Are those your only tattoos, then?”

“No, I’m a bit addicted to them, if I’m being honest,” Harry says as he does his shirt up again. It's still showing slightly more than is deemed socially acceptable, but Louis isn't about to complain. “Got them all over.”

“I’ve got a few myself,” Louis replies. “Maybe I could show them to you sometime.”

It’s Harry’s turn to be affected, it seems, because his eyes grow wide as he nods enthusiastically. Just as Louis is about to tease him for his response, a crew member announces that they are going to start filming again. Everyone gets into position, and on his cue, Harry addresses the camera. “Welcome back to Baggage, where sharing your secrets could be your ticket to love. Before the break, we discovered some things about our three contestants. Sophia is a workaholic, Liam practically lives at the gym, and Taylor can make a song out of anything. So Louis, now is your chance to start weeding some of these guys out. It’s time for the deal-breaking round.”

He makes his way over to the baggage and gestures towards them. “Each of these cases have been placed here randomly, and after we reveal their contents, Louis will decide which one he cannot live with. Whoever claims that piece of baggage will be going home. So without further ado, let’s expose some more secrets!”

Harry heads to the first case and, with a quick glance at Louis, moves to open it. “Bag number one!” he proclaims, lifting the lid to reveal the contents. “I failed my A levels!” The crowd groans accordingly, but as is customary, Harry saves his commentary until the rest of the baggage is revealed. The next case reads, _I am into BDSM_. From the way he bites his lip, Louis can tell Harry wants to comment, but he maintains his composure as he makes it to the last case. “Bag number three,” he says before opening it. “I sleep with my cats and so must my boyfriend!”

Now that all three cases have been opened, Harry returns to his place next to Louis. “Alright, love,” Harry says. “Let’s talk for a second. Tell me your thoughts about this baggage.”

Ignoring how cute that pet name sounded in Harry’s slow and syrupy voice, Louis regards the cases in front of him. “Okay, well, at first glance, the one with the A levels doesn’t concern me too much because I actually failed my own A levels twice. The only thing that might put me off is if the person never went back and tried again. I’m all about perseverance. And with the BDSM... I’d be lying if I said I’ve never done it before.”

“But did you like it?” Harry cut in.

Louis hesitates, unsure of what would be appropriate to share on national television, but then he decides he has nothing to lose and just goes for it. “I usually like to stay in control, but I wouldn't mind being tied up on occasion.”

At that, Harry breaks from his collected host persona and visibly gulps. Louis tries not to look too gleeful at that, but he's not sure he succeeds. Harry quickly points to the last piece of baggage to gloss over the moment. “What about that one?”

“See, that’s a bit harder,” Louis admits. “I have a severe allergy to cats. I have medication for it, but some breeds still affect me when I’m on it, and I don’t know if I could take that risk.”

“All of these are valid points,” Harry says. “But it’s time to decide. Which one stands out to you as a dealbreaker?”

From the crowd, people shout out which ones they think should be chosen. Louis even thinks he can hear Niall amongst them, which makes him smile. Still, he knows which one has to go. After a sufficient amount of deliberation to build up tension, Louis voices his decision. “Okay, Harry. My deal-breaker is...’I sleep with my cats and so must my boyfriend.’”

Nodding, Harry turns to the couch where the contestants are seated. “Everyone, it is time to claim your baggage.”

One by one, Sophia, Liam, and Taylor go to stand by a case. However, keeping with show tradition, they don’t go to the baggage that is actually theirs right away. Instead, they wait a few seconds by the wrong baggage, then switch places to reveal the truth. In the end, it’s Taylor who turns out to be the cat lover.

"Such is life," Louis says with a shrug.

For her own part, Taylor doesn't seem too bothered. "If you can't love my cats, you can't love me," she replies unapologetically.

Though he didn't end up choosing her, Louis has to admire her self-assurance. "I'm sorry, I just don't think I could love something that could potentially kill me."

Taylor opens her mouth as if to respond, but Harry gets there first. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," he says sagely. "But alas! I'm sorry, Taylor, this is goodbye."

Waving sweetly at Louis and then at the audience, Taylor packs up her largest piece of baggage and heads offstage. That gives Harry the cue to start the next segment. The four of them head back to the couch to talk about the baggage that was just revealed. Sophia and Liam have the chance to justify what was in their cases, and Louis gets a chance to get to know them a little better. When it’s Sophia’s turn, she tells everyone that she is a dominant person in bed, and when Harry wonders aloud if she would take control over every aspect of a relationship, she is quick to assure them that she is flexible when it comes to that sort of thing. For his turn, Liam explains that though he struggled with education sometimes, he did end up passing his A levels, and now he has a degree in engineering. In this time, Louis tries to determine how he feels about each of them. Sophia has a sultry, sophisticated vibe about her, while Liam is like a teddy bear who could also hold Louis down and make him sweat.

And even though they both seem like people Louis wouldn’t mind dating, he’s just as taken with Harry as the audience seems to be. Harry with his bad jokes and his cartoon-like facial expressions. Harry with his broad shoulders and those cascading curls. He is suddenly glad that James Corden couldn’t host today. Then again, James Corden probably wouldn’t arise these feelings in him, so maybe he would have been better off with him. Louis’ thoughts are interrupted, however, by Harry announcing a break.

"When we come back, our contestants will reveal their next pieces of baggage! Who will be the next person to leave and who will Louis choose as his special someone? Find out after the break!"

Once again, they have a few minutes to set up the next shot. As Liam and Sophia go stand by their respective baggage, Harry leans into Louis conspiratorily. “What do you reckon, then?” he gestures to the two. “Who’s in the lead: gym rat or dominatrix?”

His candor surprises a laugh out Louis, which doesn’t happen often. “You are something else, Harry Styles,” he says while shaking his head.

“That’s what they tell me,” Harry smirks. “But seriously. Which one do you like better?”

He looks so eager that Louis almost wants to tell him that it doesn’t matter, because the only person he really has eyes for in this moment is the one person who he can’t have. Which just about sums up Louis’ life lately. So instead of telling the truth, Louis plays it coy. “Guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

A crew member announces that they have ten seconds before the cameras start rolling, so Louis wrenches his gaze from Harry and mentally scolds himself for getting distracted. Again. All in all, the taping has probably taken about an hour so far, but this stop and start routine is starting to get old, if Louis is being honest. Thankfully, it’s almost over.

They scramble to stand at their spots and then someone cues Harry to begin. “Hello there, and welcome back to Baggage!” Harry greets the camera. “If you’re just tuning in, we are here with Louis, who is a drama teacher originally from Doncaster, living here in London to pursue an acting career. We’re here to set him up with a date. So far, we have eliminated one candidate, and now we are down to two. In just a few moments, they will reveal their largest piece of baggage, and Louis will have to make a decision between them. Will he choose Sophia, the workaholic who dominates in the courtroom...and also in the bedroom? Or will he choose Liam, the exercise addict who had a little trouble in school?” He turns to Sophia and Liam. “It is time to reveal your biggest piece of baggage.”

Liam goes first, letting his case fall open to reveal that he once worked as a stripper. Louis’ eyebrows raise to his hairline.

“Wow,” he admits. “Was not expecting that, to be honest. You seem so straight-edge!”

“Well, I came on this show, didn’t I?” Liam says with a bit of a nervous laugh. Which. Fair point.

“I’m interested to learn more about this,” Harry announces. “What’s the story here, Liam?”

“I was a broke student,” he says with a hint of self-consciousness. “I needed some money and I couldn’t find another steady job. But I assure you, I quit as soon as I could get other work. And as a bonus, I don’t have any student debt.”

Liam has been nothing but sensible all day, and it seems that he can even put a spin on something like stripping. Not that he would need to, but it's still somewhat endearing. “Let’s hear about Sophia, then,” Louis requests, and she opens her own case.

“I was fired from my last job due to theft!” Harry exclaims.

Clicking his tongue, Louis looks at his host. “This is getting messy, Harold,” Louis says.”How am I supposed to trust her then? What if she tries to steal from me?”

“I could be your bodyguard, if you like,” Harry offers. “Make sure your valuables stay safe.” Louis’ heart soars. How is it possible that this boy just keeps getting more adorable? As much as the audience appreciates Harry’s humor in that, though, his divergence from the script of the show must bother the executives on set, because Louis catches sight of one beside the camera making a gesture that clearly says _get back on track_. “Right,” Harry mutters, then speaks to Sophia. “Care to explain, my dear?”

Lifting her chin, Sophia looks almost regal as she regards them. “First of all, I would never steal from you, Louis. This happened in my past. I had a job cleaning hotel rooms and a lot of celebrities would stay in them. Every now and then, I would nick little things of theirs as souvenirs.” She must realize how that sounds, though, because she rushes on. “It was only ever things like toiletries, I promise!”

Harry gives a hum as if he is considering her words. “What’s the most exciting thing you ever stole, then?” he asks.

Sophia thinks for a minute before responding. “Once, a few of the players from Manchester City stayed with us, and I took some of Frank Lampard’s boxers.”

Louis can’t help it—he groans aloud. “Are you a City fan, then?” he asks timidly, expecting the worst.

“Of course,” Sophia says proudly. And that’s a huge strike against her, then.

“That’s going to be a problem,” Louis says, “seeing as I’ve rooted for United my whole life.”

There’s a mixed reaction from the audience, half cheers and half jeers. If there’s one thing Brits take seriously, it’s football. No fan of his club would fault Louis for rejecting Sophia on account of her bad taste. Judging from her face, however, Sophia isn’t too thrilled by Louis’ revelation either.

Harry extends his arms to settle everyone down. “So everyone’s baggage has been opened. Now Liam and Sophia have one final shot to make their case. Sophia, why should Louis pick you today?”

“Louis, you should pick me because I work hard and I play hard. And if we ever get into a fight over sports, I know plenty of ways we could blow off some steam.” Tossing her glossy hair over her shoulder, she finishes her speech.

“And Liam?” Harry prods.

The man glances at Sophia then back at Louis. “Obviously, it’s hard to compete with someone as beautiful as that,” he admits, “but I think I’m a good choice as well. I keep my body trim and fit, which I’m sure you would appreciate, and I feel like we could definitely have the banter you’re looking for.”

“Okay, Louis,” Harry says. “Time to make a choice.”

Scrunching up his nose in concentration, Louis takes some time for his deliberation. Truth be told, he’s already made his decision, but since his only instruction from the crew was to make this as dramatic as possible, he figures he can make everyone sweat it out. At last, he voices his decision. “Sophia… I’m sorry, but you have too much baggage for me.”

“Looks like you have to pack up, Sophia,” Harry declares. “Thanks for playing, though!” Without another word, she sashays offstage, trailing her baggage behind her. Liam, on the other hand, walks over to where Louis is standing with Harry and holds his arms out in the global request for a hug. Louis has seen past episodes where the chosen contestant immediately goes for a kiss, and he is infinitely glad that Liam is in fact a respectful individual. He accepts the embrace, and notices fleetingly that he can feel Liam’s muscles under his shirt. Not bad at all. But he doesn’t have time to say anything about it to Liam, because Harry is talking again.

“So Louis has chosen Liam for his date! But it’s not over yet. We still have to reveal Louis’ baggage.” Harry looks at the pair. “What is Louis’ secret? Is he into threesomes? Did he once break up a marriage? Or was he a drug dealer? Liam, tell everyone what you think. Which one of these concerns you the most?”

Liam still has an arm draped over Louis’ shoulders, but he makes no move to withdraw. Louis is glad he chose him. Whatever happens, Liam is a decent lad, even with the skeletons he has in his closet. After a pause, Liam answers Harry. “I think I’m most concerned about the marriage one. I mean, that’s a sacred bond between two people. How do you just break that up?”

“You are very right to be concerned,” Harry says. The tables have turned on Louis at last, and it is his turn to show everyone his baggage. On Harry’s mark, Louis opens his case. Liam’s jaw immediately drops.

“You used to deal drugs?” he demands.

Louis sputters a bit before rushing to defend himself. “I was in university! I didn’t have any cash. Surely you can understand that, what with the whole stripping thing. And I knew a guy who knew a guy… but hey, it only lasted a few weeks. Turns out I am a _terrible_ dealer,” he finishes off. “Trust me, I haven’t done it since, and I never would again, not for a million pounds.”

Liam’s face remains passive, while Harry’s lips twitch with amusement. “I guess one question remains. Liam, do you accept Louis’ baggage?”

They all wait with bated breath. As Louis watches, Liam’s eyes flicker back and forth between him and Harry. He gives a tiny nod, as if making a decision. Then it comes.

“I’m sorry, Louis, I just can’t accept your baggage.”

Shocked. That’s the only word Louis has for what he is feeling. Here he was, actually feeling pretty confident, but his world just got shattered. By a near stranger, no less. This is almost worse than the whole thing with Zayn.

However, Louis quickly remembers that there are cameras on him, and he calls on his drama training to appear unaffected by this blow. Harry does not appear to be on the same page, though. He lets out a laugh of disbelief. “Well! That’s quite a shocking end to our show today. You know, I’m not really allowed to share my opinion, but Liam, I think you might have just made a mistake. But,” he keeps going so as to wrap up the show, “that’s all the time we have for today! We’ll see you next time on Baggage.”

And just like that, the whole experience is over. Vaguely, Louis registers the crew hustling around to do whatever it is they do once the show is finished. Someone takes Harry aside, and then Louis is left alone with the guy who just rejected him on national television. Though a large part of him wants to punch Liam for what he just did, the other part recognizes the pettiness of that move, and he again reminds himself to act as if he doesn’t care at all.

“I guess this is good-bye, then,” Louis says politely, extending a hand to shake. For some reason, Liam is the one who looks like a dog that’s been kicked.

“Listen, Louis—”

“No, I get it!” Louis assures him. “Nothing personal. Really, I get it.”

“Just listen to me,” Liam pleads. “I’m doing you a favor.” Louis must make some sort of face at that, because Liam sort of chuckles before he continues. “Look, normally, I would be delighted to go on a date with you. But everyone and their mother can tell _I’m_ not the one _you_ want to date.”

Louis’ brow furrows in confusion. “What the hell are you on about?”

“Come off it, mate,” Liam scoffs. “Your whole thing with Harry? You two were flirting the entire time! Pretty sure the temperature raised a few degrees from all the heat between you guys.”

Absurdly, this makes Louis blush. “I don’t—I mean—We were just—”

Liam takes pity on him, though, because he laughs and waves Louis’ stutters off. “Don’t worry about it, mate. Just be happy, okay? Besides,” he leans in to whisper, “I think I’m going to try my hand at Sophia. Maybe she’ll let me be her arm candy.”

Giving Louis’ arm a pat in a decidedly bro-ish way, Liam heads off without another word. Louis’ head is reeling. This whole day has been a wild ride, and the last five minutes have been even wilder.

By some twist of fate, Harry comes up behind him at that very moment. “I meant what I said on the air, you know,” he tells Louis. “I think Liam is crazy not to go out with you.”

“Is that so?” Louis asks, his voice going soft.

Harry nods vigorously. “Yeah. I’d go out with you in a heartbeat.”

As soon as he says those words, it strikes Louis that this situation is exactly what he’s been wishing for all day. He is no longer tied to any of the contestants, and he is free to pursue the person he actually wants, who apparently wants him back.

Instead of a response, Louis decides to take a chance. He raises himself on his tiptoes ever so slightly and aims his mouth at Harry’s. He hesitates for a second, giving Harry the chance to pull back, but instead, the other man surges forward and captures Louis’ lips in a kiss. His hand comes to rest gently on the back of Louis’ neck, while the other draws him in closer. When they draw apart, Louis is more than a little breathless.

Then the clapping starts.

Whipping his head around, Louis sees that everyone in the near vicinity is cheering for them. Some of it comes from the crew, some of it from straggling audience members. Louis even thinks he spots Liam and Sophia tucked away in a corner, smiling at the scene. Glad to have everyone else’s approval, Louis turns back to Harry, who is already gazing fondly at him.

“Too bad the cameras weren’t rolling,” he says ruefully. “That would have been the perfect shot.”

Louis raises a single eyebrow. “From now on, Styles, the only filming that will take place between us will be kept very private.”

“I like the sound of that,” Harry murmurs, and pulls Louis in for another kiss.

(Later on, they find out that a camera did indeed capture that moment. Niall plays the tape at their wedding two years later. This time, the cheers are nearly deafening, but Louis is too busy kissing his new spouse to care.)

 

 


End file.
